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G'day!

G'Day

Welcome to my blog.

In 2008, I received a trial flight in a light aircraft - a flight which changed my life. After a mere thirty minutes in an asthmatic old Cessna, I decided I would become a pilot. It was love at first flight. As Leonardo Da Vinci famously said - Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

However, like any relationship, there were highs (and there were puns!) and there were many moments where I thought I would never grasp this new skill.

After fifteen instructors, six flying schools and enough tears to fill a dam, I became a private pilot. And, because of a strong masochistic streak, I decided to study for my Commercial Pilot's Licence.

This blog is a working narrative of my time as a pilot, through my personal writing, my round Australia trip and my career as an aviation journalist, magazine editor, customer engagement manager for AvPlan EFB and aircraft salesperson for Cirrus Sydney.

Aviation has changed my life: through learning to fly I have discovered a part of myself that is resilient, organised and capable of great joy as a result of hard work, setbacks and learning.

In the words of Socrates, “Man must rise above the Earth – to the top of the atmosphere and beyond – for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.”

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to email me with advice and suggestions on

Monday, December 16, 2013

During Ausfly, a gentleman by the name of Bradley approached me at the AOPA stand and declared I must visit his new bed and breakfast, Hangar House, in Mudgee. He left me a card, said, “you’ll love it” and went on his way.

A week later, I received an email saying, “Are you coming to visit?”

I was, of course, intrigued. With weather too blustery for me to fly, I engaged a more experienced pilot - my friend Andrew, with his trusty C182S - and embarked on the 50 minute flight from Bankstown to Mudgee.

Upon landing on runway 22, I spied a fabulous looking building, which I quickly deduced must be the bed and breakfast. It turns out Hangar House is as minimalist and intriguing as Bradley himself.

After collecting us in a luxury 4WD, Bradley introduced us to his partner, Alex, and we began the tour of the dream project they have dedicated three years to building.

Alex and Bradley

“In Australia, the concept of an airpark has been fairly limited,” explains Bradley. “The pioneers were developments at Narromine and Temora Airports, where you could hangar your prized aeroplane and live basically alongside it or attached to it. These types of airport developments are common in the United States and have proved very popular with the general aviation enthusiasts there. A notable example is John Travolta, although his house is more airline than general aviation!”

The hangar is the integral focus of Hangar House, with magnificent curved beams, covering an area suitable for four to five light aircraft. The hangar space makes a unique, attractive venue for a variety of aviation themed events, and has already been home to an AirTourer convention and an Australian Women’s Pilots’ Association social event.

“Hangar House is situated on a small subdivision tendered out by the Mid Western Regional Council. When the opportunity presented on the proposed subdivision, Brad and I jumped at the idea of setting up their dream,” said Alex.

The house itself is a two story steel structure designed by Sydney based architect, Maurice Patten of Patten Design - (www.pattendesign.com.au).

The hangar is accessable from the western end of the living area, where the first suite, The Skymaster, is located. The Skymaster suite consists of an intimate lounge with Jetmaster fireplace joining a large open kitchen and dining area flowing to an informal TV/lounge area. The first floor is the home of the Airtourer, Bonanza, Baron And Constellation suites, where is a tea/coffee station at the top of the stairs for guests.

The layout is spacious and airy, with an impeccable eye for detail. The furniture is a wonderful blend of modern, antique and exotic (as Alex hails from Cuba), with the décor having a distinct aviation focus. A giant mural of the sky, onto which each visitor’s aircraft is laminated, fills an entire wall. Alex is in the process of organising an aviation themed bar, and of course, each suite is named after an iconic aircraft type.

Were I to offer three superlatives to describe this remarkable living work of art they would be: Fabulous, stylish and cutting edge.

Hangar House also offers accommodation for students; conference facilities and a private chef for dinner parties, functions or corporate events. A courtesy car is available for fly-in guests and as well as hangarage for up to five aircraft, allowing you to taxi right up to the hotel.

Located on the northern apron of picturesque Mudgee Airport and only less than a 5km drive north of the town centre, the Hangar House is an ideal location to explore the area’s 35 plus vineyards as well as Mudgee’s cafes, restaurants, pubs and nearby historic villages such as Gulgong and Rylstone.

The Chief Pilot of Observair, Brad Welch learnt to fly way back in the early 1970s with the Hazelton clan at Orange and Cudal Airports and has always loved the Central Tablelands of NSW. Mudgee is relatively close to the large coastal population bases and is an ideal base to conduct the specialised aerial services that takes Observair Australia wide. In the last couple of years, it has completed major aerial surveys for Flinders University , Murdoch University and International Wildlife Foundation, in the research of dolphins and whales breeding grounds and Blue Whales migratory patterns.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Since my very first TIF, back in 2010, I've dreamt of learning to fly helicopters. Even though I would have to grow another limb to gain the coordination necessary to fly a chopper, I've salivated over helicopters ever since, even going as far as applying for a conversion scholarship.

Although sometimes even an optimist has to put dreams in the 'save for much later' basket, it doesn't stop one seeking out time in other peoples' magnificent machines. Imagine my good luck, then, when the lovely Bas Scheffers of OzRunways 'broke the news' that I would be returning to Bankstown from Ausfly in an R44. Poor me.

Neil Weste is part of the OZRunways success team, a Cirrus AND R44 owner, and extremely generous to boot. A helicopter pilot before he was fixed wing, I sense Neil's real passion is with chopper flying and as we begin the start ups for departure from Narromine, he has that look I know so well.

A Whole New Attitude

As I sit there, transfixed while Neil speaks the language of chopper, watching gauges unfamiliar to me and twisting levers I don't have, we begin the magic (or the magimix, as an old instructor used to call helicopters) of hovering. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it really does feel like magic. I realise this illustrates my scant knowledge of helicopter aerodynamics, but I'm going to risk looking light-headed (again) and simply say - "wow!" You don't know you're flying until you're taking off vertically and floating along to the runway - look no taxiways for me! - to take off in a glass bubble. It really is the most sophisticated form of flight. It is, however, a little slower, but in my mind, certainly on this trip, a 100 knot cruise only furthered my enjoyment of the scenery, above which we remained low enough to see people's washing on their lines. Thankfully, Neil only had one set of controls fitted, so he wasn't obliged to give me any 'hands on time' which was (frankly) a bit of a relief, as I remembered the 'pat your head and rub your stomach' technique of keeping everything upright and stable from my TIF.

After a blissful hour's flight, peppered with my shortfire questions to the very patient Neil, we landed at Cessnock for fuel. Although the aerodrome was as busy as a fly-in day (who says General Aviation is dead?) we didn't have to worry about joining circuits at 1000ft. Helicopters have their own circuit height, and as we were the only one there, it was straight down onto the grass for us. As Neil shut down, I offered to go and fetch coffee. Upon my return, I spied a fabulous old Bonanza (which the owner wouldn't sell, alas) as well as SkyThrills pilots Jodie and Jeremy, in their Decathlon and newly acquired Nanchang.

After refuelling, with both coffee and Avgas, we departed and headed coastal for the most scenic and stunning part of the trip. Neil resides on Lake Macquarie - an area I've visited by road, but is most certainly best seen by air. As we did a touch-and-go on his front lawn (which was really no bigger than a handkerchief!) I realised this amazing area, with houses perched on the side of the lake, is something of a residential secret (until now!) You really wouldn't know it was here, in all its hidden magnificence, unless you were looking for it.

As we continued coastal at 500 ft, we spotted a whale. I sighed in perfect contentment, and started mentally selling my shoes and frocks to save up for chopper lessons. Neil, however, had saved the piece de resistance for last. "How'd you fancy a harbour scenic?" he asked. Nodding furiously, he took my 'yes' and went on to say, "this will be quite different from a fixed wing scenic."

It turns out, to my utter astonishment, that choppers don't need clearance into the harbour. Not only THAT, they get to fly at 500ft, just skimming the harbour bridge AND are allowed west of the bridge, down the Parramatta river all the way to Bankstown. I don't know what kind of special place helicopter pilots have in the 'can do' drawer at CASA, but this was beyond amazing. No wonder Sydney chopper pilots look so damn smug!

Our landing at Bankstown was an eye-opener, too, with the chopper circuit being quite busy. "Choppers West" and other inbound points I'd heard on the radio, but never really acknowledged, became a reality as we headed for 'the main pad'. After the pad, we danced over to Andrew's hangar, where he and his son came out to gush over the R44. As I alighted the fabulous machine, I felt like a movie-star, giddy with excitement, privileged in experiencing something only a very few are allowed.

Once again, I reminded myself that while I may not have fallen into the most well-paid profession in the world, I get to fly in (and on) the most amazing machines in the world and am lucky to meet the most fabulous people.

And, this time, when asked if I enjoyed the flight, I didn't answer, "oh my! The EARTH moved!"